Timing device for machinery



July 4, 1933. G, c, SMITH TIMING DEVICE FOR MACHINERY 2 SheetsSheet 1 Filed June 30, 1930 July 4, 1933. G c SMlTH 1,916,745

TIMING DEVICE FOR MACHINERY Filed June 50. 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N VEN TOR,

' Tommy Patented July 4, I933 ATENT OFFICE "oriovnn 0. 3mm LOS ANGELES, CALIFQBNIA I TIMING DEVICE. r03 vrAcHiNERY Application filed June 30 This invention relates to timing apparatus and more especially to a timing device designed to be operated by apart ofanasso ciated machine and to be tripped automatically after a predetermined periodto give a signal that the predetermined period has elapsed so that certain other steps, for instance, the discharge of a mixed batch, can be effected. I s The present'timing device -,may be considered as adaptedfor timing the mixture of a batch of cement in" a cement mixer which includes a dischargeable hopper, the action of which should not occur until a pro-determined period of mixing has elapsed. In fact, [certain jurisdictions require means to prevent theiunloading' action before the full period has elapsed andtherefore the present machine includes means to prevent, unloading of the batch until the specified period has elapsed.

It is a desideratum to provide anautomatic timing device including means. having the capacity fora very considerable Variation in the periods of time for various mixtures and to that end the present invention includes mechanism which may be actuated either by a reciprocating mover, or an oscillating mover, or a rotary mover and which mechanism is effectively actuated by the prime mover irrespective of the direction of the stroke or rotation and which mechanism includes a master controller operative to trip the actuated timing device and which con-" troller .is adapted to be. readily adjusted through a considerable range to vary time: of signal. froma few seconds up to a maximum period of, say,'four minutes without a change of a normal speed of the primary mover. An additional object is to provide automatic timer including a mechanically actuated setter, which in the case Tofa concrete mixing machine, may be set as by action of a connecting rod to the clutch lever of themachine, or can beset by action of, a connection with the skip mechanismfcommon to such machines. I i

Additionally, an' obje'et is to provide an automatic timing device which is'thoroughly, reliable. in action, is simple in construction of the combinations, andits parts, and is sub-f ly claimed hereinafter.

' tripped by the controller.

7 motion in any direction.

1930. Serial 1%. 465,023. v

stantially fool-proof and whose tinie p're- I determining controller can readily be adjusted by an inexperienced laborer-of the class employed for instance, in the cement mixing trade.

The invention consists in certain advancements in this art as set forth in the ensuing disclosure and having, with the above, additional objects and advantages, and whose con struction, combination and details of means,

and thenianner of operation will be made manifest in the description of the herewith illustrative embodiment; it being understood that modifications, variations and adaptations may be resorted to within the scope, principlev and spirit ofthe invention as it is more direct Figure 1 is affront elevation of the timer in the tripped relation of its parts.

FigureQ is a: vertical section on line 2 2, Figure I. Y

Figure 3 is. a detailed elevation of the feeder transmission actuated by the prime mover. I v s i I V 'Figured is an axial section of the feeder transmission parts.

Figure- 5 is a plan of the positioned master timing controller, and showing a trippable clutch in binding engagement on a driver the parts being in set position and about to be I For convenience and security the operative parts of the mechanism are mounted in a protective box 2 to a side wall of which"is'se-' cured a bearing 3 in which is turnable a hollow shaft 4 supporting one end'of a turnable spindle v5 whose opposite endismounted in a bearin'gfi. A

ainst the bearing 3 is disposed a driver in the form, of a sprocket wheel, 7, .operative by any prime movement of the associated machine which for example may be a concrete mixer whose batches are to be timed. A feature of thisinvention is that the driving part 7 may be of rotary or reciprocative or oscillative motion and have I The driver 7 is secured to the hollow shaft 4 and this is provided with a cam means 8 which engages and oscillates a cam lever 9 having apivot 1 0 in the-end of an arm 11 ustable about atrunand elevation a nion '12 fixed in a wall of the box 2; thereby providing for an adjustment of the pivot 10 toward or from the axis of the cam 8 to effect a change of stroke of the cam lever 9 from the one cam pitch. The cam lever carries a pawl 13 whose nib 14 engages a transmission ratchet 15 which, is secured, next to the cam, on the spindle5. The pawl 13 is pressed to the wheel 15 by a spring 16 which is also connected to a back stop latch 17 on pivot 18, Fig. 3, and thusserves the triple function of pressing the latch against the wheel 15, of drawing the pawl against this wheel, and holding the cam lever 9 down on the cam 8.

It will be seen that the cam will oscillate on y in one direction in steps whose length is determined by the cam and by the relative position of the cam lever pivot 10.

An effective lubricating means for this transmission is shown as including a greasing plug 20 screwed to the end of a hollow shaft 4 to feedgrease to a duct 21, therein, and to the bore in which the near end of the shaft 5 is mounted and thence to a radial duct 22 in the hollow shaft to the bore of the bearing 3.

The pawl and ratchet transmission acts as a speed reducer between the driver 7 and the spindle 5 and a further reduction means includes a worm 25; fixed on the spindle 5 and driving a worm wheel 26 being'loose on a trunnion27 which has one end fixed ina bearing 28 and at its outer end carries a master tripper' or time controlling device, herein called the controller 29, which comprises a diagonal abutment ledge 30 interposed in the path of a tripper, later described; A feature ofthis invention is the ready variation of the moment of trip action and further resides in the considerable latitude of period variation. To this end the controller 29 is turnably adustable about its supporting trunnion 27 substantially through an arc of about 330 more or less and is fixed at its selected position as by a clamp nut 31.

The worm wheel 26 is rigid with a disc 32 and drives the same past a clutch nog 33 of a clutch lever 34 when this is free. The

"lever 34 is pivoted at 35 on the end of a radial arm 36 which is loosely mounted on the trunnion 27 and has a diametrically opposite arm 37 having a pivot 38 on which is mounted a trip lever 39. This trip is con nected to the clutch lever 34 by a toggle link 40. When thetrip lever 39 is pushed back,

away from the clutch disc 32, the toggle link that the carrier device, including arms 3637, will be carried around with the disc and so that the trip arm 39 will likewise be carried around, in set position, so that its tappet end 39 will in time impinge on the previously adjusted controller 29, whose function will be to react on the trip lever 39 to break-the set toggle relation, and overcome the action of spring 41 in such releasing function with the result that the clutch lever will be retracted by the spring 41 to fully open the clutch nog 33 and therefore allow a mainspring 36, which has been wound or tensioned by action of the closed clutch with the clutch disc 32 to whirl back the carrier 36'and all its associated parts;

In the normal, idle, retracted position of the carrier 39, its bumper 36 bears against a sliding insulator plunger 42 mounted in.

brackets 43 in the box'and whose function isto strike a bell clapper 44 to ring a gong'45.

The plunger 42 is provided with a spring 42 whose action is to advance the plunger 42 when the restraining carrier bumper 39 is carried away by the action of the clutch disc 32, when the clutch is effective;

The bell clapper 44 is shown as extending up through a tube 46 and this is a part of a setting deviceoperative to engage the tap-. pet 39? and press back the lever 39, to a ,toggle locking positionand at the same] time close the clutch nog 33 on the driving disc 32.

The setting tube 46 isprovided witha lever arm 47, herein called the kick-in arm and,

which may be'operated by any appropriate convenient operating element of the associated machine: thus in a concrete mixer this el-ementmay be a rod from a clutch lever or from the skip. Afea-ture of this kick-in, lever is thatit can be secured in any angular relation about the tube '46 as may be desired in" combinative relation in the mixer. To the kick-in sleeve 46 is secured a setting born 48 disposed in such position as to sweep around against the free tappet 39 and press this back to set the toggle 40 and the clutch In order to provide for safety the horn. I

48.is preferably in the form of a curved spring arm under which the end of the tap pet may sweep if it is whirled back by the main spring 36 at a moment when the horn 48 is in the way. v I

The kick-in arm 47 and its associated horn 48 are "drawn back to a retracted position by a connected spring 46?. In order to prevent the prematurejdischarge of the mixing machine, means are combined with the present timer to control a suitable or convenient I driver or operating part of the machine,

which can be operated or stopped operating as may be, to preclude'batch discharge be fore time. 7 Such a preventing means ishere shown as including an electric terminal 50,

Figure 5, which is engaged by a short-circuiting switch 51 carried by the striking plunger 42 in its outward or settingmovement to engage thecontact 50. This action having a clutch clamp and an arm to set the will close a circuit for instance, controlling a motor or other electrical element and whose circuit will be short-circuited by this switch 51, while the batch is being mixed, if and when a switch of the motor circuit is closed" to discharge the batch before time. As soon as the striking assembly whirls against the plunger 42 this strikes the gong clapper 44: and also breaks the contact between switch 51 and terminal.50. It' is understood that,

the switch 51 is insulated except when in switch closing position with contact and then makes a ground as-by' engagement with 1 the bearing bracket 43. I I

In some cases it may be desirable to count the mixing operations as determined by the number of times the timer is set by the kicking arm 47 and this is conveniently done by a simple counter, having an arm 49 engaged by the tappet 39 when thisis set by the horn 48.

WV hat is claimed is:

1. A signal effecting device including a tubular shaft, a bell clapper having a stem operatively passing through the shaft, a

clapper striking assembly including a part to engage said stem, means carried'by said shaft and operatlve on said assembly to set it in striking position, and control means for operating the shaft to eifect setting of said assembly. I

2. A signal eifecting device including a rotative striking assembly, a clutch disc, means.

for revolving said clutch disc, said assembly clamp, kick-in means acting on said arm to apply the clamp to the disc, a spring for whirling the assembly and which is tensioned by rotation of said arm, and a stationaryadjustable trip member disposed rier, and a tripper engageable by a part of said assembly to open the clutch parts and permit the assembly to whirl to effective position, said tripper being settable about the;

axis of rotation of the carrier to variously determine the period lapsing before release of clutch.

I 4, Ina signal timing mechanism, a primary mover, and a driving means operated thereby and including a pawland ratchet device, an eccentric moved by said mover and acting on the pawl to drive the ratchet one way irrespective of direction or character of mover action which impels the cam, apawl carrying cam-arm, and a fulcrum for: the arm,

which is adjustable to vary the stroke of its pawl stroke action without change of cam. 5. In a signal timing mechanism, a primary mover, and a clutch drlving means operated thereby and including'a pawl and ratchet device, and an eccentric moved by said mover and acting on the pawl to drive the ratchet one way irrespective of direction or character of mover action which impels the cam, and apawl carrying cam-arm, a fulcrum for the arm, which is adjustable to vary the stroke of its pawlstroke action without change of cam,'and a stop latch connected to said pawl by a spring which also serves to,

hold the said arm to the cam.

6.'In a timing device, a striking assembly 7 including a revoluble carrier, a clutch lever pivoted thereon, a tappet arm pivoted on said carrier and having a toggle connection with said lever, a spring actuating said arm to open the clutch, means to throw the tappet and set the clutch toggle, and means to time the release of the clutch by action against the tappet.

7. Ina timing device, a cam having a hollow shaft, means for turning the shaft, a

spindle journaled in the shaft, and an intermittent drive means actuated by the cam and I motivating said spindle.

8. A signal effecting device including a striker assembly having a tappet arm, clutch means including a clutch member connected to said arm and operative thereby and av clutch disc engageable by said clutch member, means for revolving said clutch disc whereby said member and saidarm are revolved when said clutch means are engaged, a spring which is connected to said arm and is tensioned by the rotation of said arm with said discand which whirls the arm back when the clutch I means are disengaged, a signal instrument.

actuated by'the whirled arm, a kick-in means to set the clutch means, and trip means settable about the axis of rotation ofand engageable by the whirlable arm to'determine .the time of clutch release and signal rendi-T tion.

GROVER oi SMITH. 

